The New York Giants defense had some major problems last season trying to finish games. New York had a good defense line, but the franchise needed to fire Shane Bowen as defensive coordinator during the middle of the season. Charlie Bullen took over as the defensive coordinator for the remainder of the season. Denard Wilson is the new defensive coordinator for the Giants.
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Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants inside linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) takes a photo with fans after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
With that being said, it will be interesting to see how the defensive personnel is going to look for the 2026 season. One of the weakest positions on the roster is the linebacker position. Bobby Okereke has one year remaining on his contract. Will general manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh decide to keep him for the 2025 NFL season, or will they decide to cut him?
New York Giants Insider Believes That they Could Potentially Release Linebacker Bobby Okereke This Offseason
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Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols (26) runs with the ball against New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Dan Duggan of the Athletic covers the Giants and he wrote about one player that the franchise could potentially cut in the offseason. Duggan thinks that Okereke could be one of several players from New York’s roster who could potentially be cut this offseason. He said,
“The Giants have some obvious cuts (RB Devin Singletary, OL James Hudson and K Graham Gano) to create much-needed cap space. Okereke will be the biggest cap decision. The Giants can create $9 million in cap savings while eating $5.5 million in dead money if they cut him this offseason. A captain during each of his three seasons in New York, Okereke plays every snap as the leader of the defense. But the 29-year-old’s performance has declined, so the savings from cutting him could be spent on an upgrade. A decision will come before a $3 million roster bonus is due on March 13.”
It feels like the Giants may decide not to cut him because they don’t have a deep linebacking unit to begin with. It feels more likely that running back Devin Singletary will be cut. A lot of New York fans thought that he should not have been on the roster at the running back position to begin with last season.
Okereke recorded 143 tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery, two interceptions, and six pass deflections. He is 29 years old. The Giants will have to address the linebacker position this offseason but releasing him may not be the correct answer here.
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